White and yellow

Yes, the sun is out and stronger than ever, although it really is too much this early in the season.  Temperatures have been high 70's to low 80's.  The bees are busy, the clay soil is rock-solid once again, and watering my latest plantings is a top priority.

Ah, but the flowers...!  The freesia are blooming, and I've got a pot of them next to my armchair on the porch.  Smells heavenly!

While many daffodil bulbs disappeared during the construction of the front walkway, some have survived and are slowly awakening.

The simple whites are my favorite

 Isn't the sun simply blinding?

I've seen some neighbors checking out my calleryana flowering pear tree, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more of these around the neighborhood soon.

  

Pompoms or snowballs?  Can't decide.

Guess who else is happy the sun is back!

As for me, I'm holding out for the rain to return...

Bloom Day, April 2013

Apparently, on the 15th of each month, many gardening bloggers publish photos of what plants are in bloom in their gardens on that specific day, known as Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.  While I do not consider myself strictly a garden blogger (more like a garden don't-I-wisher), I find it interesting to compare what's blooming here in La Mancha compared to, say, Texas or Sweden.

Here's what's happening in my garden today:

Lavandula stoechas   

Lavender is one of my favorite spring-time flowers because of it's color, shape, disease-resistance and scented leaves.  Today, however, the wild Spanish lavender is still not in bloom, but this garden-center variety is really spectacular.  I love the transparency of the upper crown of petals.

 

Daffodils

 

The daffodils are doing very well this year since we've had so much rain.  I have no idea what varieties these are, but the ones in the bottom photo are minis.  You can see they are smaller than a salvia bud.

 

   My pear tree.  I planted this 7 years ago and we've only gotten 3 pears out of it.  Our hot summer winds seem to dry the fruit up, but I don't have the heart to cut it down... yet.   

Durillo

 

Remember the raspberry-pink buds on the Tinus?  Well, now they've open to tiny white flowers.

 

 





       

On the kitchen porch, there's a mixed pot with snapdragons and purple freesia in bloom.

 

 

 Brassica napus and Anchusa

... and the rest of my garden is run amuck with, um, wildflowers.

 

Happy Easter!

 

  

Although it is not a Spanish tradition, my kids paint Easter eggs every year, and the Easter Bunny somehow does manage to find us.

 

Did you know that the word Hispania, which is what the Romans called Spain, is derived from a Phoenician word meaning "land of rabbits".  In La Mancha, they're everywhere!

They keep Luna entertained, but she's afraid to go after them because they're as big as she is!

 

My garden is slowly awakening.  Luckily, the rabbits don't like eating daffodils....

 

 

 ...nor do they care for iris.

 

The rabbits are also completely oblivious to weeds (I mean, wildflowers).

 

 

Most likely, many of you back home will be having a ham for Easter dinner.  Here in this little corner of pork-loving Spain, we usually have a cookout down by the reservoir...

  with seafood paella for 50 people!

 

 

 Happy Easter!